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A stunning home loss to the Minnesota Vikings — a rare happening in recent years — saw the Detroit Lions tumble down the board in this week’s power rankings roundup. Favored by many outlets to win the Week 9 division showdown, the Lions fell 27-24 to the Vikings, dropping them to 1-2 in the NFC North and 5-3 overall. While most outlets still view the Lions as a top-10 team in the NFL, one has them as low as No. 11, citing concerns about the offense’s performance under offensive coordinator John Morton. Other critiques center on the lack of protection for quarterback Jared Goff. Here’s a look at this week’s rankings and where the Lions stand following their home loss to the Vikings. The Athletic Rank: 7 Last week: 2 “Their running game was stuck in the mud Sunday against Brian Flores’ Vikings defense, but this is still a really good football team. There won’t be many more opponents who can bottle up Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery the way Minnesota did.” -- Josh Kendall and Chad Graff ESPN Rank: 6 Last week: 2 “The Lions will get tested by an elite squad in a showdown with the reigning Super Bowl champions on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ They will need to bring their A-game to win in Philadelphia, and it’ll serve as a good barometer for where the Lions stand among the league’s elite teams after already losing to Green Bay and Kansas City on the road. Detroit is looking to secure its third straight NFC North crown. -- Eric Woodyard” Yahoo Sports Rank: 7 Last week: 2 “It’s easier said than done, but if you can take out the Lions’ running game, they’re a different team. The Packers shut down Detroit’s run game in Week 1 and Minnesota did it Sunday. Those are the two worst games the Lions have played this season. It won’t happen often, though." -- Frank Schwab USA Today Rank: 9 Last week: 5 "After stumbling out of their bye, maybe they’ll find a trip through the entire NFC East over the next five weeks will be a welcome respite from the unforgiving NFC North." -- Nate Davis CBS Sports Rank: 11 Last week: 4 "Losing at home to the Vikings is not a good look for this team. The offense looked disjointed in that game, and now they have two on the road." -- Pete Prisco The Ringer Rank: 6 Last week: 2 "If you’re a Jared Goff skeptic, Detroit’s loss on Sunday had to feel like a gift. He was rattled by pressure from the Vikings defense, and his lack of athleticism kept him from escaping the pocket. The result was that this Detroit offense couldn’t access the explosive passes that typically make it unstoppable. Detroit’s interior offensive line had a worse performance than its quarterback, but if the Lions are supposed to be real contenders, you have to ask Goff to rise above those circumstances and play winning football. If this Vikings defense can do this to Detroit, what’s stopping the rest of the NFC’s contenders from disrupting Goff’s rhythm?" -- Diante Lee Bleacher Report Rank: 9 Last week: 6 "Some concerns should be bubbling to the surface since the Lions’ offensive line, which was previously viewed as elite, has not played well in recent weeks. In fact, Detroit’s last two opponents sacked Jared Goff nine times. Minnesota sacked him five times, while adding 11 quarterback hits. Goff is a distributor, not a playmaker. He’s going to run the offensive scheme at peak efficiency if he’s kept clean. He’s not going to generate plays outside of structure or against significant pressure. His skill set and its deficiencies were obvious against the rival Vikings. -- Brent Sobieski
